Summary
With Liu Kang resetting history inMortal Kombat 1, peace seems to have finally settled across the Realms. However, it seems no matter how many times one resets time, certain things never change among the personalities ofMortal Kombatcharacters, with unrest slowly growing among the ranks of Liu Kang’s supposed agents. Insights towards these developments and relationships between theMortal Kombatcast are reflected as early as their conversations between Kombat, making the game have some of the quirkiest lines to grace the series.
However, withMortal Kombat 1seemingly taking players on a nostalgia trip to an alternate version of the game’s classic titles, even Special Moves and Fatalities seem to reference earlier franchise entries. Eagle-eyed viewers may notice similar tendencies inMortal Kombat 1intro dialogues, making some of them more exceptional than others.
10Obligatory Movie References
It’s no surprise that Johnny Cage is once again arecent recruit as one of Earthrealm’s championsin thisMortal Kombatreboot. The celebrity returns boasting quite the charm and an ill-fated attempt to flirt with many of the roster’s cast. What makes most of Johnny’s intro dialogues interesting are the film and series references he often inserts.
Other characters seem to make these pop culture references, too, with Johnny having the most lines. Two statements in particular stand out: one where he tells Kung Lao that his film based on their fights will be called"Mortal Kombat,“and another where Raiden and Liu Kang make a reference to"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
9Snappy Quips
It’s often to hear fans say,“Ooh, burn!“should trash talk between two opposing parties come too far, and some lines inMortal Kombat 1’s extensive list of intro dialogue contain quite the sass from various characters. While Shang Tsung remains unsurprisingly unremorseful to his actions, the butt of sassy quips inMortal Kombat 1seems to target Kung Lao and Reiko.
The descendant of the Great Kung Lao’s failure to secure the championship in the recent tournament made others like Mileena disregard his boastfulness. Meanwhile, returning Reiko may be a soldier, but he’s not taken as seriously as he’d expect.
8Character References
With theoriginalMortal Kombatseries boasting more than 60 characters inMortal Kombat Armageddon, it’s unsurprising how a game likeMortal Kombat 1can’t reasonably contain all of them in a single story. However, NetherRealm Studios did their due diligence in at least hinting at some of their roles in Liu Kang’s timeline. Courtesy of some quotes, fans have some idea of the fate of someMortal Kombatcharacters, with some even hinting at future appearances.
7The Distaste In Liu Kang
After Kronika’s defeat inMortal Kombat 11,Liu Kang became the designated Keeper of Timeto build a “better timeline.” Unfortunately, the crisis inMortal Kombat 1forced the supposedly mere demigod into revealing his true role in the new timeline. This revelation had inadvertently affectedMortal Kombatcharacters, with quotes hinting at their reaction.
6A Refreshing Take On Mileena
While Mileena’s sibling rivalry with Kitana had transformed her into a recurringMortal Kombatvillain, her version inMortal Kombat 1begins with a refreshing alteration: a headstrong Outdoor heiress with a surprisingly deep sisterly bond with Kitana. Whilehints of her growing insecurity towards Kitanaare reflected in some dialogue in the recent entry, Mileena’s character development is seen in other quotes, specifically her respect towards people in her inner circle as well as her capacity as a leader.
5Kitana And Liu Kang Remain A Thing
Among the most heartwarming stories within theMortal Kombatfranchise is the budding romance between Liu Kang and Kitana, which turns out to be a realm-defying love story that transcends even timelines. While Liu Kang hasdistanced himself from mortal affairs as a new Elder GodinMortal Kombat 1, the game’s events seem to make him and Kitana gravitate yet again toward each other. While Kitana remains duty-bound in her role as Kitana’s military commander, the princess remains perceptive of her predecessor’s relationship with Liu Kang in other timelines.
4Remnants Of The Past
The story ofMortal Kombatbeing rebooted a couple of times gives an incentive forMortal Kombat 1to play with the existing timeline for the benefit of the story. In turn, some intro exchanges hint at events of the past, be it extreme changes or hints of repeating cycles. Some of the dialogue reflects this, such as a Scorpion mirror match pittingKuai Liang against the original Hanzo Hasashior a “shadow” falling over Bi-Han, reflecting his eventual transformation into Noob Saibot.
3The Previous Meta
While Onaga’s involvement in the plot ofMortal Kombat 1solvesthe Dragon King’s absence inMK11,other dialogue in the recentMortal Kombatentry references relevant plot points in the past that may still happen in the current timeline. For instance, it was White Lotus member Shujinko’s pride that led to the reemergence of Onaga in the realms inMK: Deception,with the same pride leading to Liu Kang sealing his powers in the most recent entry.
2Changes To The Timeline
When Liu Kang took the mantle of Keeper of Time from Kronika in the story ofMortal Kombat 11, his ending cutscene assumes thecreation of a kinder world where Kombat became a means to coexistand not conquer. However, as the story ofMortal Kombat 1eventually shows, some characters in the game seem predisposed to certain personalities. With the eventual revelation of Liu Kang’s creation of their realm, the intro dialogue of some characters shows how they attempt to make sense of their current condition.
This is especially the case as they’re confronted with the reality that they may have been completely different beings before.
1A Closer Look Into The Realms
Since the stories of bothMortal Kombat 9andMortal Kombat 11deal with alternate versions of the franchise’s first two to three games, one might expectMortal Kombat 11to once again retell the story ofLiu Kang’s victory against Shao Kahn.
However,Mortal Kombat 1switches things up with a martial arts thriller, with intro dialogue showing how the rule of Outworld’s Queen Sindel is at risk of being toppled by multiple threats. It’s up to Liu Kang and Earthrealm’s new champions to stop an Outworld coup, a summoning of an ancient threat, machinations from evil sorcerers, and interference that Liu Kang and Geras could surmise have come only from an outside force.
